Muppets Most Wanted is the Muppets' eighth feature film, a direct follow-up to the 2011 feature film The Muppets, released by Disney in 2014. The screenplay was written by James Bobin and Nick Stoller, returning from the previous film. Bobin also returned to direct the film.

A new Pixar short, featuring characters from Monsters University, precedes the film in its theatrical release.[1]

The idea of this film is that our gang is on this global tour, and we're selling out these grand theaters all over Europe—in Berlin, Madrid, London—but we sort of get into a little bit of trouble when we run across my doppelgänger. He's the world's number one criminal, Constantine, and he happens to look an awful lot like me. I won't tell you any more than that, but let's just say mayhem ensues.[6]

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Contents

Official Synopsis

US poster.

UK poster.

Disney’s "Muppets Most Wanted" takes the entire Muppets gang on a global tour, selling out grand theaters in some of Europe’s most exciting destinations, including Berlin, Madrid and London. But mayhem follows the Muppets overseas, as they find themselves unwittingly entangled in an international crime caper headed by Constantine—the World’s Number One Criminal and a dead ringer for Kermit—and his dastardly sidekick Dominic, aka Number Two, portrayed by Ricky Gervais. The film stars Tina Fey as Nadya, a feisty prison guard, and Ty Burrell as Interpol agent Jean Pierre Napoleon. Disney’s “Muppets Most Wanted” is directed by James Bobin and produced by David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman. Bobin co-wrote the screenplay with Nicholas Stoller, who is also executive producer with John G. Scotti. Featuring music from Academy Award®-winning songwriter Bret McKenzie, “Muppets Most Wanted” hits the big screen March 21, 2014.

Production

Development

On March 3, 2012 it was announced in Variety that James Bobin and Nick Stoller would pen the screenplay for a sequel to The Muppets.[7] Bobin and Stoller started writing the script on April 12, 2012 which was described as a "comedy caper" set in Europe.[2]
In a March 2012 interview, Jason Segel (co-writer, producer, and star of The Muppets) said that he will not return for the sequel, stating: "I have handed off the Muppets to my writing partner [Nick Stoller] and to James Bobin. My goal was to bring the Muppets back and I feel like I accomplished that. I feel like they're in really good hands. But it was half a decade of my life, I just want a little breather, and I know that they're going to nail it."[8] Stoller said the film could possibly have a cameo for Jason Segel,[2] however Segel later stated that he will not appear in the film.[9]

Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy appeared at CinemaCon on April 24, 2012 to officially announce that a new Muppet movie is in development. (YouTube) The official Muppets Facebook page reported the news with a teaser image for "The Muppets 2."[10]

It was reported in November 4 that producer Todd Lieberman and composer Bret McKenzie will return for the sequel, which began filming in late January 2013 at Pinewood Studio in London.[2] Principal production in London wrapped on April 16, 2013[11] and filming moved to Los Angeles in May 2013.

In February 2013, production designer Eve Stewart let slip that she was working on a scene featuring Miss Piggy's wedding at the Tower of London.[12] In addition to the United Kingdom, filming also took place outside the El Capitan Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles, to recreate the previous film's ending.[13]

In January 2013, Disney announced a release date of March 21, 2014 for the film.[14][15] The working title for the film, which was used throughout principal filming, was "The Muppets... Again!."[16] On June 13, 2013, Disney announced that the film had been retitled Muppets Most Wanted.

Casting

In October 2012, it was announced that Christoph Waltz was originally in negotiations to star as the lead Interpol inspector in the film,[3] however in December it was announced that Ty Burrell was signed to the role (Waltz had declined the part due to schedule conflicts).[4] In an interview posted later that month, Waltz said he'd been talking about the movie again and may still appear, but "it might just be one of these little what-they-call cameos."[17]

On December 16, 2012 Ricky Gervais announced that he would star in the film. Gervais tweeted: "I have just signed up to play the lead in the next Muppet movie. I have the biggest trailer but Kermit will spend some time in my sink."[5] Gervais commented on his role in the film on his website: "You may have read that I have accepted the lead role in the next Muppet movie. I didn't so much accept it as jump at the chance. I fucking love The Muppets. (I'll probably have to tone down my language for Disney.) We start filming in January. I can't wait. I'll be hangin' with those cuddly little critters all day."[18]

In January 2013, reports surfaced that Tina Fey was in the final negotiations to play "a Russian gulag prison guard" in the film.[19]

Marketing

In July 2013, Kermit and Miss Piggy appeared a YouTube video from the cast and crew of Muppets Most Wanted congratulating the royal family on the birth of Prince George. (YouTube) Later that month Muppets Most Wanted was featured in a series of Disney Channel interstitials staring Disney Channel stars and cameo actors Ross Lynch and Debby Ryan.

Disney released the first teaser trailer for the film on August 6, 2013 and was shown in theaters with screenings of Disney's Planes. The film's theatrical poster was released on October 28, 2013[20] and a full theatrical trailer was released on November 21, 2013.

In the months leading to the film's release, the Muppets made many appearances in promotion with the film; including tie-ins with such clients as Toyota, Lipton, QVC and Club Penguin, as well as appearing on talk shows, web videos, and other media.